“When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders…so Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hung himself.” (Matt. 27:3-5)
There was plenty of betrayal, denial and abandonment going on that night. It seems that everyone that had declared their allegiance to Jesus had left Him in one way or another. Most had run away in the garden but two of them had their failures highlighted in the events that followed, Peter and Judas. It did not take Judas a long time to realize that the decision he made to betray Jesus was a bad one. For Peter, it was the rooster crowing that brought his sin to his attention. For Judas it was hearing that Jesus was condemned. “What have I done?” The Scripture tells us that he was filled with remorse. He admits that he has done wrong and tries to give the “blood” money back. Just like Peter he is crushed but it is what follows that separates their stories.
For Peter, we know that his remorse led to repentance. After Jesus’ death we find him back with the disciples and then reunited with Jesus in a resurrection appearance. For Judas, we are told that his remorse drives him to despair and he tragically ends his life. Maybe you would say that Judas got what he deserved. Maybe you, like many in history, would see no other outcome for this “vile” man who would betray our Savior. This evaluation is true in a world of no hope. A world where some sins are too bad to be forgiven. In a world where God’s grace is limited to His favorites.